Conditioning Ride Left at 1:40 pm; returned at 5:08 pm; 43.86 miles
Route
- Leg 1: Intersection of LIberty & Stadium, out Liberty to Zeeb, to Scio Church, to Parker, onto Pleasant Lake; stopped at Lindeman;
- Leg 2: From Lindeman, continuing on Pleasant Lake; was encountering significant headwinds, so turned around at Schneider; back down Pleasant Lake to Parker; stopped at Jerusalem;
- Leg 3: Continuing on Parker on into outskirts of Dexter; towards Chelsea on Dexter Chelsea Rd.; turned around just after the second right-angle bend in the road, again because of significant headwinds; through Dexter, onto Dexter-Pinckney, continuing right through the light; stopped at Fleming?;
- Leg 4: Back down Dexter-Pinckney, through Dexter, and onto Huron River Dr.; stopped at Barton Park/Bird road;
- Leg 5: Continuing on Huron River Drive, up Main St, up Washington to home.
Stats
- Leg 1: 10.62 miles, 40 min on bike; 15 avg mph; rested 7 min
- Leg 2: 9.73 miles; 34 min on bike; 17.17 avg mph; rested 22 min
- Leg 3: 8.88 miles; 34 min on bike; 15.67 avg mph; rested 17 min
- Leg 4: 11.12 miles; 39 min on bike; 17.11 avg mph; rested 11 min
- Leg 5: 3.4 miles; 15 min on bike; 13.6 avg mph
Cumulative Totals
I record these only because I calculated the average miles per hour for each leg, since I had not reset the cyclometer between legs, and I want to preserve the original data.
- Leg 1: 10.62 miles, 40 min on bike; 15 avg mph; 1:40 pm to 2:19 pm
- Leg 2: 20.35 miles; 1 h, 14 m on bike; 16.4 avg mph; 2:26 pm to 2:52 pm
- Leg 3: 29.23 miles; 1 h 48 m on bike; 16.1 avg mph; 3:14 pm to 3:47 pm
- Leg 4: 40.46 miles; 2 h 27 m on bike; 16.4 avg mph; 4:04 pm to 4:43 pm
- Leg 5: 43.86 miles; 2 h 42 m on bike; 16.1 avg mph; 4:54 pm to 5:08 pm
Totals
- 43.86 miles
- 2 h 42 m on bike
Food and water intake
Didn't really take a lot of special measures this weekend; drank extra water on Saturday; skipped coffee, but had tea on Sunday; had can of tuna, a round of flat-bread, some red peppers, and a few baby carrots before ride.
During entire ride, consumed most of a 100 oz camel back bag; consumed most of 48 oz of sports drink. At each rest stop, I ate 1/4 of a PB & J sandwich. Only after Legs 3 and 4 did I eat bananas.
Interesting happenings
When I was stretching by bending over at the waist with the legs only slightly bent, I would look backwards through my legs, and noticed that the view was actually much more beautiful upside down. I always stopped on dirt roads, so my view was of the road, the foliage along it, and the vanishing horizon. I would not have expected there to be such a big difference, but there was.
I also saw more solo road bikers out when I was not on Huron River Dr., which I liked. I enjoy knowing that there are others out there who enjoy solo riding.
During my last rest stop I spoke with a somewhat older cyclist who was just about to begin his ride, despite the late hour (just before 5 pm). He had a brand new $1000 bike. I asked him a few questions about it, but forgot to note which brand and model it was. I long for the day when I can get a brand new bike with all the latest technology. For now, my $75 decades-old bike will have to do, and it's actually served me amazingly well.
Impressions of ride
I felt sort of weak during my first leg, and wondered how far I'd make it today. I decided, once I started hitting head winds, that I didn't need the hassle, and since I wasn't tied to any particular route or destination, I preferred to turn around rather than fight the wind.
Also, since I didn't feel terribly strong, I decided to rest in 10 mile increments rather than maximizing my time in the saddle. I'd worn myself out last Sunday by pushing too hard and going too far during the first leg. I hadn't realized how much ground I'd lost while we were away.
After eating my first banana, I powered my way through the next leg. It was really amazing compared to the other legs. I didn't even have the sensation that I'd ridden that many miles, whereas in the previous legs, I my thighs were getting fatigued.
I realized that I should have eaten a banana before I left the house, and should have eaten part of a banana at each rest stop. Oh, well! A lesson for next time.